The operation of the Idukki airstrip of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), which the Chief Minister is scheduled to inaugurate soon, can have an adverse impact on the wildlife of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) besides leading to destruction of the forest ecosystem, cautions the Forest department
The department has flagged its concerns regarding the impact of the airstrip and the operation of aircraft on the wildlife and ecology of the reserve in a reply to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The holding, where the airstrip has come up, is hardly half a kilometre from the boundary of the PTR. It will come well within the regime of the eco-sensitive zone of the reserve. Construction activities for the airstrip could also come in conflict with the provisions of the notification, it is pointed out.
